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Criterion
Paper illustration for Design Studio
UX Design
Design Studio
Paper illustration: scenarios and architectural decisions are connected to identified risks.
Architecture
ATAM (Architecture Tradeoff Analysis Method)
Paper illustration of the Lotus Blossom working structure.
Innovation
Lotus Blossom
Paper illustration of an eight-panel idea sheet with varied sketches beside a timer set to eight minutes.
Innovation
Crazy 8s
Purposedifferent
When several designs need to be quickly put in relation to each other, it makes ideas visible and comparable. It encourages early variants instead of long upfront debates.ATAM helps teams weigh architecture decisions when quality goals compete. The team considers business goals, stakeholder expectations, and technical decisions together. The evaluation shows which risks need further investigation.When a central question feels too large, the method breaks it into neighboring topic fields with their own depth of ideation. It holds structure and openness at the same time, so adjacent perspectives don't get lost. This grows an idea space out of a core problem.With only a few minutes available and a still-fuzzy solution search, the method forces a wide range of variants. It produces fast sketches before the first idea can settle in, making different directions directly comparable and open to further development.
Complexitydifferent
MediumHighLowLow
Timedifferent
1-3 hSeveral meetings plus preparation and analysis; total effort depends on scope45-90 min8-15 min
Participantsdifferent
3-8Evaluation team, architects, and relevant stakeholders3-101-10
Formatdifferent
WorkshopWorkshop + asyncWorkshopWorkshop
Outputdifferent
Sketches, Concept Directions, Design DecisionsPrioritized quality scenarios in a utility tree, Architecture risks with reasoning and assumptions, Sensitivity and trade-off points, Findings report with open investigationsLotus Diagram, Idea Themes, ShortlistSketch Set, Idea Shortlist, Direction Options
Tagsno overlap
SketchingCollaborationIdeation
ArchitectureQualityRiskTradeoffsStakeholders
BrainstormingIdeationCreativityDivergenceWorkshop
BrainstormingSketchingSpeedDivergenceDesign sprint
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